Bedside blood test can deliver results in under 10 minutes to guide urgent stroke care
Minutes count when a patient with a stroke arrives at a hospital emergency room. Doctors stand ready to treat the patient, but whether medication can dissolve the blood clot depends on what the patient is already taking. Even if a blood sample is rushed to the laboratory, results can take up to an hour to arrive.
A new bedside blood test developed by researchers at Aarhus University's Department of Chemistry could significantly improve urgent stroke care by delivering results in under 10 minutes. The innovative technology, which utilizes optical measurement and biochemical testing methods, allows doctors to quickly determine if a patient's blood contains specific drug molecules, such as anticoagulants, without the need for laboratory processing or centrifugation.
By automating the analysis within a small cassette, the test eliminates manual steps that can take up to an hour in hospital biochemistry departments. This rapid diagnostic tool is crucial for stroke patients, as every minute counts when treating a clot-dissolving medication. The research team behind the technology hopes that its implementation will ultimately improve patient outcomes by reducing the risk of brain damage and hemorrhages associated with acute stroke conditions.
Brief written by urgent.news from Medical Xpress's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
